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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 08 November 2017

I’m a fan of a good old fashioned “who done it?”  You size up the suspects, look at their motives and give it your best shot in identifying the killer.  For those who have read the 1934 Agatha Christie novel, seen the 1974 feature film or watched the 2001 television movie, there won’t be many surprises here.  Screenwriter Michael Green (Blade Runner 2049) has stuck with the source material and the 1930s setting.

When not sitting in the director’s chair, Kenneth Branagh also slips into the shoes of the film’s protagonist, Hercule Poirot.  The first impression he gives off is one of arrogance.  He has impeccably high standards, loves to show off, and calls himself “the greatest detective in the world.”  He’s not someone I’d share a dinner table with.

It’s not long before you realise that the hype around Poirot is warranted.  Travelling from Istanbul to Calais on the famous Orient Express train service, his legendary detective skills are called upon when a passenger (Depp) is murdered in the middle of the night.  His body, complete with several stab wounds, was found in his locked compartment.

There are roughly a dozen passengers on board the carriage and over the course of day, Poirot will interrogate each of them.  It’s not long before many secrets come out into the open.  Complicating matters is the deceased man himself – an art dealer with a shady past.  He’d amassed many enemies which only added to the number of possible motives.

Perhaps my expectations were too high but I was a little underwhelmed by Murder on the Orient Express.  Kenneth Branagh tries to milk humour from his character’s self-important nature but it’s not as funny as it could be.  Only a handful of moments were worthy of a smile.  With so many high profile actors in the cast, the screen time is split and no one gets a chance to stand out.  If I had to pick a favourite, I’d lean towards Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as a young governess who has fallen in love.

There’s also something disappointing about the simplistic ease in which Poirot puts the pieces of the puzzle together.  I realise he’s a light-hearted fictional character but it feels like he knows the answer to every question before he asks it.  There are a couple of scenes where we see him stress but they are even less authentic given his telepathic abilities.  If they’d brought him into their ranks on a show like CSI: NY, every mystery would be solved with 5 minutes.

The film’s strongest attribute is its setting.  Most events takes place aboard the old-school train and the camera weaves up, down and above the narrow corridors and passageways.  Part of me would love to take a journey like that one day…. well, except without the murder.  It’d be nice to enjoy a three-course meal in the dining carriage while looking out across the snow-covered mountain ranges of Europe.

Shot using 65mm film cameras (as opposed to digital), Murder on the Orient Express looks great but struggle to deliver on its early intrigue.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 30 October 2017

When it comes to the creative arts, few could brag about having a career more diverse than Ben Elton.  His career began in the early 1980s when he performed as a stand-up comedian.  He’s was a writer on British television shows including Blackadder, The Young Ones and The Thin Blue Line.  He’s published 15 novels including Popcorn, Dead Famous and High Society.  He’s created the book for successful musicals such as We Will Rock You and Love Never Dies.

All of that said, the artistic medium he’s least been involved with is film.  His only directing credit to date has been Maybe Baby – a romantic comedy starring Hugh Laurie and Joely Richardson that was released back in 2000.  He was born and raised in London but we can now claim Elton as an Aussie.  He married an Australian musician in 1994 and currently lives in Fremantle along with his wife and three kids.

Delving back into the world of cinema, Elton has drawn on his two decades in Australia to create Three Summers.  Inspired by his own experiences, it’s a fictitious tale based around an annual folk music festival that takes place in a rural part of Western Australia.  It’s aptly named “the Westival” and it attracts visitors from across the country as well as overseas.

As hinted at in the film’s title, the narrative is spread across three consecutive Westivals with the same characters interacting year-on-year.  There’s an arrogant Theremin player in search of romance (Sheehan), a talented violinist unsure of her career path (Breeds), an alcoholic who leads a folk music group (Waters), and a loveable announcer who helps organise the festival (Szubanski).  That’s just the start.  There’s also an indigenous dance group, an AA counsellor, a group of refugees, an adopted boy, a strict security guard, some rowdy teenagers, and a few married couples.

There are too many characters but Elton done a worthy job in weaving the storylines together and creating an entertaining comedy.  Everyone will have their favourites but there were three standouts for me.  Robert Sheehan (Misfits) is both annoying and endearing as the foreigner who is too smart for his own good.  Magda Szubanski (Babe) gets the best of the one-liners as she tries to promote the festival and its eccentric performers.  Kate Box (Rake) somehow keeps a straight face as the intense, non-nonsense security who looks like she’s never smiled in her life.

It’s not all about the laughs and recurring jokes.  There a strong political overtones and it’s clear that Elton wants to leave audiences with something to think about.  In particular, he tries to put a more “human face” on refugees whilst also touching upon the plight of Indigenous Australians and their journey for recognition.  These stories don’t quite get the attention they deserve but they still leave a mark.

The finale feels rushed given the need to squash large amounts of character transformation into the last of the three summers.  Still, the likeable cast more than compensate and leave us with one the better feel-good releases of the year.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 06 November 2017

On 23 July 1967, a large group of police officers raided a late-night, unlicensed bar in an African American neighbourhood in Detroit.  The intention, rightly or wrongly, was to arrest a few patrons and escort them back to the police station without inflaming racial tensions.  That plan was a spectacular failure.  It sparked a 5-day riot through the streets of Detroit that culminated with 43 dead, 1,189 injured and more than 2,000 buildings destroyed.

There are a myriad of stories that could be told from those 5 days but Oscar winning writer Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) focuses on the one that’s been given the most attention in the riot’s aftermath.  Two nights after it all began, police responded to the sound of gunfire at the Algiers Motel.  What followed was a forceful interrogation of the hotel’s residents as the officers tried to locate the gun and identify who used it.

It’s this powerful second act that resonates most strongly.  Will Poulter (The Maze Runner) is outstanding as the racist police officer who flouts the rule book in pursuing his own cause.  When one of the hotel’s African American guests tries to escape the mayhem, he shoots him in the back from point blank range and then makes up a story about acting in self-defence.  As sickening as it is, Poulter’s character tries to justify his actions to his fellow officers.  He foolishly believes that killing African Americans to “send them a message” will somehow squash their spirit.

Director Kathryn Bigelow has continued on from her great work in The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty and created an intense drama that feels documentary-like in nature.  The hand held camera zooms in on the faces of the distressed hotel guests and we see the emotions build up as the night drags on.  There’s clearly indecision about what they should say to the police officers.  It’s as if the truth is irrelevant.  It’s a game of psychological warfare to see which side will yield first.

Those staying at the Algiers Motel include two members of a soul music group, a Vietnam War veteran, and two teenage girls who are visited from Ohio.  Caught in the middle is an African American security guard played by John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens).  He’s the film’s most interesting character in that he displays almost zero emotion.  He knows that the racist police officers have crossed the line but he’s afraid to speak up – perhaps because he lacks courage or perhaps because he doesn’t want to jeopardise his own employment.

There’s a lot to think about in Detroit and as evidenced from their previous collaborations, Bigelow and Boal don’t want audiences to feel “warm and fuzzy” as the credits start to roll.  It’s easy to look back at the Algiers Motel incident and point the figure at a few rogue cops but is it that simple?  How far have we advanced as a society over the past 50 years?  Those involved in the newly created activist movement, Black Lives Matter, would passionately argue the problems from 1967 still exist in 2017.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 25 October 2017

Thor: Ragnarok is good.  It’s easily the best in the Thor trilogy – an impressive feat given that sequels often lack the spark and freshness of the original.  To make a further comparison, it’s in a close battle with Wonder Woman and Spider-Man: Homecoming in determining the best superhero movie of 2017.

If you’ve been following social media over the past two weeks, none of this should be a surprise.  The buzz has been almost entirely positive since more than 2,000 people turned up for the Australian premiere at Robina.  There’s been an added layer of excitement here in Queensland given the film was made at Village Roadshow Studios at Movie World.  Additional scenes where shot in the Brisbane CBD last July with the corner of Albert and Margaret Street transformed into New York City.  I was one of thousands who went out for a stickybeak.

There are as many villains as heroes in Thor: Ragnarok.  That’s not a bad thing considering that villains are often the most interesting characters in an action flick.  Hela (Blanchett) is Thor’s sinister older sister who has the ambitious goal of ruling over all planets.  Surtur is a fiery, CGI-generated demon who cannot rest until he obliterates Asgard, Thor’s home planet.  The Grandmaster (Goldblum) is a mischievous elder who enslaves powerful aliens for his own gladiator-style fighting games on the planet of Sakaar.  Let’s not forget the returning Loki (Hiddleston) who shows glimpses of goodness but can’t shake his thirsty for domineering power.

It falls upon Thor (Hemsworth) to save the universe once again but he will need a little help along the way.  A newcomer to the series is Valkyrie (Thompson) – a warrior who once had an important role on Asgard but now operates a “talent scout” for the Grandmaster.  Returning faces include the big green Hulk (Ruffalo) and the wizard-like Heimdall (Elba).

This is a career changing project for New Zealand born director Taika Waititi.  Over the past decade, he’s forged a reputation for making great low-budget films such as Boy, What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.  The budget is roughly 100 times what he’s accustomed to but Thor: Ragnarok still feels like a Taika Waititi film.  It’s got a warped, darkish sense of humour and some fun, well-timed cameos.  He also finds a way to weave himself into the action by playing the film’s funniest character.

It’s hard to criticise any element of the production.  There are many subplots to cover but the screenplay devotes the right amount of time to each.  A distinctive synthesised film score has been created by Mark Mothersbaugh (The LEGO Movie).  The costume designers and make-up artists deserve praise for their work on Cate Blanchett and Jeff Goldblum.

The bottom line is that Thor: Ragnarok is a really fun movie.  The story is compelling and the one-liners are hilarious.  I can’t wait to see it again.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 02 November 2017

Each year, I survey a bunch of film critics based in Brisbane to put together a collective list of the year’s best.  A question I ask of them all is “which film were you most surprised to enjoy?”  Responses I received in 2016 included Nerve, The Shallows, The Nice Guys and Deepwater Horizon.  My answer was Bad Moms given the impressive comedic chemistry generated by stars Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn.

As the original was a huge hit at the box-office, no time has been spared in getting this sequel off the ground and into cinemas.  Very little has changed in terms of the production.  We’ve got the same three leading ladies, the same writers, the same directors and same producers.  The question is whether it can create the same level of laughter.

The premise of the earlier film revolved around three mothers who delegated responsibility to others so as to free up more time for themselves.  The same can be said of this next instalment but its focus is slightly narrower – Christmas.  Amy (Kunis) opens with a monologue describing just how stressful Christmas can be.  So much preparation goes into the event and there’s extra pressure on mums to ensure everything goes perfectly.

The film is titled A Bad Moms Christmas in the United States but goes by the simpler name of Bad Moms 2 here in Australia.  Perhaps a more appropriate title is “Crazy Grandmothers”.  Amy, Kiki (Bell) and Carla (Hahn) are all visited by their own strange mums in the five days leading up to this year’s Christmas. 

Amy’s mum is played by Christine Baranski (Mamma Mia!) – a heinous, pretentious woman who never says a nice word about anyone.  She mocks Amy for her mothering skills, her weight and her cooking.  Kiki’s mum is played by Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) – a borderline psychotic who wants to spend every minute of every day with her married daughter.  There’s even a moment where she snoops on Kiki and her husband as they get intimate in the bedroom.  Carla’s mum is played by Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking) – a chain-smoking alcoholic gambler who slips in and out of her daughter’s life.  She’s only arrived in town because she’s desperate for money.

With things starting to get out of control, Amy, Kiki and Carla share a “few” drinks in a shopping centre food court and make a pact to “take Christmas back”.  It’s time to stop being a perfectionist and time to stop with the lavish, over-the-top festivities.  They’re going to put their foot down, stand up to their mothers, and do Christmas in their own unique way.

As someone who has seen their own mum stress over the intricacies of Christmas planning, I can appreciate the scenario.  However, it’s a limited storyline that doesn’t provide as much room for humour.  Christina Applegate was the butt of many jokes in the first movie as the villainous head of the PTA but with the exception of a small cameo, she’s absent here.  The heavy lifting therefore falls upon Baranski, Hines and Sarandon but their characters are too over-the-top.  It’s hard to believe that anyone would take their side on any issue (particularly the kids).

It’s not all bad news through.  There are a handful of great scenes that provide laughs.  Most of them revolve around Kathryn Hahn, her work at a beauty salon, and her interaction with a male stripper from out of town.  It adds up to an MA rating in Australia for its “strong crude sexual humour” but it doesn’t push the envelope as strongly as in Girls Trip – a better female-centric comedy released two months ago.